The subject matter of this application relates to the burning of a solid pelletized organic fibrous material. Specifically, apparatus and method are provided whereby pelletized biomass particles are combined with a flammable gas or liquid to provide a combustible mixture for producing a flame with minimum fuel consumption.
Fuel pellets made from fibrous organic material have recently become available as a source of energy for heaters, furnaces and other devices which require the production of a flame efficiently and cleanly whereby a minimum amount of pollutants and solid ash is produced. Fuel pellets according to the foregoing are described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,951 entitled "Fuel Pellets And Method For Making Them From Organic Fibrous Materials". The above mentioned reference describes a commercially successful technique for producing a fuel from organic fibers such as saw dust in the form of pellets. The fuel produced by the disclosed process yields 8500 to 9000 BTU or more per pound of pellets making the fuel a viable alternative to other solid fuels.
The pellets produced from the technique described in the aforementioned patent can also be gasified to produce a gas which is combustible as disclosed in my copending applications entitled "Process for Gasifying Organic Fibrous Material and the Product Thereof", Ser. No. 813,453, filed July 7, 1977, and "Process for Gasifying Organic Fibrous Material and the Product Thereof", Ser. No. 931,292, filed Aug. 4, 1978. Gasified pellets can yield additional fuel efficiency, being able to generate heat at a level of 11,800 BTU's per pound. The present invention relates to burning both solid pellet fuel made from fibrous organic material and a flammable liquid or gas simultaneously. The solid fuel may be ground fuel pellets of the type disclosed in my aforesaid patent.